Overweight patients are switching doctors because they are uncomfortable with unwanted weight loss advice

Overweight patients are significantly more likely to engage in 'doctor shopping' - regularly switching doctors - than normal-sized patients, according to a new study.

Off-putting weight loss advice and improperly sized medical equipment are thought to be the major reasons, say the
researchers, from the John Hopkins University in Baltimore.

But constantly moving about means these
patients are a staggering 85 per cent more likely to end up in A&E, they say.

The study of more than 20,000 patients showed that the odds of doctor shopping increased by 19 per cent for overweight patients and 37 per cent for obese patients, compared with normal-weight patients..

Four per cent of patients saw five or more primary care doctors over two years, a practice more likely in obese and overweight patients as well.

Kimberly A. Gudzune, an
assistant professor in the division of general internal medicine at the
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: 'If you are dissatisfied with your care or feel judged because of your weight, then you may be better served by finding a provider who can meet your needs.'

But the worry, she adds, is that some patients may not find a doctor they feel comfortable and are then driven to keep searching for new ones.

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She continued: 'There’s something going wrong in these doctor-patient relationships that make these switches so frequent for this group of people.'

'The real problem here is that the health of overweight and obese patients who doctor shop is being compromised.

By switching doctors too regularly, overweight and obese patients are 85 per cent more likely to end up in A&E

'Because they do not remain with their doctors for very long, they are ending up in the emergency room, likely for things that could have been taken care of in a primary care office.'

'If they feel judged or hear offhanded comments about their weight, if the blood pressure cuff won’t fit properly or they are afraid the examination table will not support their weight, it reinforces negative stereotypes obese patients encounter elsewhere.'

'We need to strive to create a safe, judgment-free environment where all patients can receive satisfying medical care.'